Friday, May 20, 2016

Air National Guard interested in the MV-22 for Search and Rescue? Seriously!

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) isn’t just wooing foreign customers for the V-22 Osprey. Deputy Program Manager Scott Hite revealed here Thursday that NAVAIR has also been talking to Air National Guard units about the tiltrotor transport as a search and rescue aircraft. “There has been some dialogue with the Air Force Air Guard and certain states have mentioned interest,” Hite said in a briefing to the American Helicopter Society International’s annual conference here, Forum 72. “Texas and Pennsylvania have both shown some interest. Alaska has shown some interest.

Wow. Is this real? I have yet to hear anyone quantify the statement that the MV-22 is changing the way that the Marine Corps conducts operations, but pointing to Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief isn't one of them. Neither is Search and Rescue.

Check out the vid above. Then think about blowing snow or use in the Texas plains with blowing dust and tumble weeds. If you narrow it down to medical evacuation then you can make the sale....but that's not what they're talking about.